Making History Education Fun

On August 28, 1963, 200,000 people participated in a peaceful civil rights rally in Washington, D.C., where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. In honor of that extraordinary event, Historybusters would like to make the following kid friendly film recomendation...

Our Friend, Martin
Kids as well as adults will enjoy this animated time-travel adventure about two boys sent back in time to meet Martin Luther King Jr. Produced by the King family, Our Friend Martin blends authentic historical footage with animation, producing a wonderfully enjoyable history lesson. The boys learn first hand about segregation, the bus boycotts, the Birmingham riots, the march on Washington, and the “I Have a Dream” speech. They discuss "non-violent resistance" with their new friend Martin and learn about the work of Gandhi in India. This is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. Extremely family friendly.

On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees the right of women to vote, was ratified when Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it. In Honor of that event, Historybusters would like to recommend the following movie:

Iron Jawed Angels might be just the ticket to get your daughters interest in Women’s History. Featuring an all-star cast, including Hilary Swank, Angelica Huston, Julia Ormond, Brooke Smith, and Frances O’Connor, Iron Jawed Angles tells the story of suffragettes Alice Paul and Lucy Burns and their fight for women’s right to vote. Admittedly a bit heavy handed in places, it does manage to make one feel grateful to the many women who fought for a right that is too often neglected. Family friendly, but with mature content

Want to learn more about the Suffrage Movement? Check out these websites:

Women involved in early reform movements

PBS companion site for Not for Ourselves Alone

PBS introduction for One Woman, One Vote

Timeline of the Women's suffrage movement

Women's suffrage from the Susan B. Anthony Canter

Lesson plan for Suffrage from the Library of Congress

The fight for suffrage from Digital History

Lucy Burns & Alice Paul at the Libray of Congress

On August 15, 1998, a terrorist bomb exploded in the Northern Ireland town of Omagh, killing 29 and injuring hundreds of others. The families must deal with an excruciating agony, but when weeks pass and not a single arrest has been made, the families begin to ask, “Why?” Instead of anything resembling justice, they encounter a host of incompetence, slow-reacting politicians and officials offering little more than evasion. Worst, it begins to look like the folks in charge ignored warnings that the bomb was coming. Omagh is an award winning film that contains mature content. For more information on the historical events behind Omagh, vist these websites:

IMDB overview for this film

Overview of the Omagh bomings from cain.ulst.ca.uk

Homepage of Conflict and Politics in Norther Ireland

BBC's In depth coverage of the Omagh bombing

BBC origianl report on the Omagh boming

Until next time, Happy Historybusting...

On August 6, 1945, the US military dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, over 192,000 people died. Three days later, on August 9, the US dropped a second atomic bomb, this time on Nagasaki, over 74,000 people died. On August 15, Japan's Emperor Hirohito surrendered and WWII was over.

Perhaps the most powerful film commemorating these events is not a film at all but a feature length cartoon entitled Barefoot Gen, created by Japan's award winning manga artist Keiji Nakazawa. Born in Hiroshima in 1939, Nakazawa was one of only two in his family to survive the 1945 bombing. He was seven years old at the time. In Barefoot Gen, he tells his story as only an eyewitness can. This is not a cartoon for children. Barefoot Gen is a powerful and personal statement about the human cost of atomic warfare. It contains strong images and adult themes. We recommend it highly.

For other Historybusters' recommendations for Nagasaki and Hiroshima, click here. Members will also find a wealth of information in their members' center. Simply visit the WWII area of the center and scroll down to The Bomb.

As always, Happy Historybusting...